The Council approved the request by the Historic Preservation Board to add 4 city-owned buildings to the list. They are Causland Park, the Carnegie Library (now housing the city museum), the Great Northern Depot (now housing the Depot Arts Center), and the WT Preston. All 4 were already on the National Register of Historic Places.
(Causland Park)
Causland Park was created in the 1920's. This beautifully designed park is dedicated to veterans from World War I to the Vietnam War. Possessing lovingly detailed decorations such as black and white mosaic walls and an amphitheater decorated with ornate pebble and rock mosaics, it is an area frequented by tourists. The 2 acre park is unique in its use of decorative rock and black and white mosaic for structures and walls. Low, serpentine mosaic walls surround the park, and a bandstand, amphitheater and terraces are similarly made of colored pebble and rock mosaic. Other park features include picnic tables, mature ornamental plantings, a small grassy lawn and many terraces.
(Anacortes Museum)
The Carnegie Library was built between 1909 and 1911. It became the home of the Anacortes Museum in 1968, and in 1977 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The first floor, once used as a social and musical center, now houses the Museum’s offices, research library, and archives. The second floor is now handicapped-accessible and contains the exhibit gallery, with permanent displays on Native Americans and early settlers, fishing and logging industries, and regular special exhibits.
(The Great Northern Depot - See The Big Picture)
The final whistle blast sounded at the Great Northern Depot in 1956. In 1980, the Great Northern Railway sold the neglected depot to the City of Anacortes. The restoration process began, supported by grants, corporate and private donations, and plenty of volunteer sweat equity. In 1987, the Depot Arts Center was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
(WT Preston - Nicholas SL Smith photo)
The W.T. Preston was the last sternwheeler to work in Puget Sound and one of only two remaining in the contiguous United States. The heritage center proudly displays this beautiful vessel as well as artifacts, models, and graphic displays about the ship and its history.